547 
of Edinburgh, Session 1877 - 78 . 
bow was separated from the first spurious bow by an intensely black 
band the width of the second spurious bow, and both second spurious 
bow with its black band were together the width of the first spurious 
bow. 
2. Colour . — Colours were seen on the portion of the limb 
described abo^e as standing out against the black smoke-like cloud. 
The colours, though far from being well pronounced, were distinct. 
Miss Buchan stated she saw the colours as we looked at the bow 
through the window, which at the time stood in need of the window- 
cleaner ; but I was unable to detect the colours till the window was 
thrown up, when they were distinctly visible. 
In no other part of the bow was any development of colour 
visible, either when I first observed it in St Andrew Square, or 
afterwards at various times in the office. 
The frost was keen at the time, but it is probable that a S.W. 
wind with thaw had then set in aloft. I understand from Mr J. 
Gibson-Thomson, of York Place, who called at this office shortly 
thereafter, that while driving out to the country in the afternoon 
the wind had shifted into S.W., and the tops of the mud-ridges on 
the road had become soft with the thaw which had set in. 
The width of the primary, or its visible portion, appeared to be 
about a third narrower than the ordinary coloured rainbow. 
The arrangement of the colours was that of the ordinary rainbow, 
the yellows and yellow-reds being best marked. 
The appearance of the sun, as seen in St Andrew Square, was 
hazy, with light wisps of clouds and large patches or blurs of mist 
in that part of the sky, giving rise to ill-defined shadows, so that I 
looked about to see if there were any appearance of halos or mock- 
suns visible, but none were seen. 
By Dr Ferguson. 
Dr Ferguson stated that he had read in the Inverness Advertiser 
that a similar phenomenon had been seen at Naim and neighbour- 
hood on the same day from eight in the morning till midday. It 
is described as a pale blue arch on a white ground, having the out- 
line and position of a rainbow, but differing from it in its remarkable 
fixity. 
I saw the rainbow at Edinburgh from the middle of the east 
